Page 10 - January/February 2023 Outdoor Oklahoma

2022 CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

“PART OF THAT FAMILY HERITAGE”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club Interna-
tional sponsor a creative writing competition for middle and high school students. A boy and a girl from two age divisions are selected
winners. Students write essays using the theme “Hunting: Sharing the Heritage” or “Archery: What I Like About Archery in the Schools
and Bowhunting.” Winners in the age 15-17 category receive a guided antelope hunt in the Texas Panhandle, and winners in the 11-14
age category receive a hunting trip with Rack Attack Outfitters of Fairview (or similar) and a scholarship to the Outdoor Texas Camp. In
this issue, Outdoor Oklahoma honors senior category female winner Madison Patswald, 15, of El Reno Public Schools.

HUNTING: Oklahoma is an amazing place to live. … I consider
SHARING THE HERITAGE myself so fortunate to live in this great hunting state!
My first hunting season is one I’ll never forget. My
By Madison Patswald grandpa took me deer hunting. We would go out
Hunting is a part of my family’s heritage. From into the field on the weekends and after school. For
deer and antelope to turkey, geese, and wild hogs, the longest time, I never saw a deer. … I continued
we have always loved the thrill of the hunt. Hunting to go out but wouldn’t see anything in person. At
is something that has been passed down from gen- this point, it was getting late in the season, and we
eration to generation. I learned how to hunt from had only a few days left of rifle season. On the last
Dad and Grandpa, and they both learned from their day of Thanksgiving break, my grandpa and I had
parents. What an amazing opportunity hunting can gone out with low expectations when all of a sud-
be for a child to make memories with those they den, a buck walked out in the clearing. I lined up my
love. From the very beginning, hunting has been sights and slowly pressed the trigger. It was a good-
a way of life. … Of course, hunting has evolved sized, healthy, six-point buck. Back then I didn’t
over the years. Now we have specialized guns and care about getting a trophy buck. I was so excited
realistic decoys, but the culture still remains. People that I had finally accomplished my goal. It was also
still love and appreciate he outdoors and all that a great teaching moment because I learned a lot
hunting is able to provide. about patience and perseverance.
One of my earliest memories of shooting Shooting the deer wasn’t the end of the experi-
was when I was 8. My dad had refurbished my ence that night. My grandpa taught me how to field
great-grandpa’s old rifle for me to use. We went dress the deer. He and my dad showed me how to
to the shooting range, and he taught me how to harvest all of the deer meat from the carcass. It was
shoot and handle firearms safely. As I grew older, he important to them that I understood shooting a deer
taught me all about different types of guns, and he was about so much more than just the hunt. I had to
built my first hunting rifle. Through my childhood, know how to make use of the whole deer. These were
I had been exposed to various types of hunting building blocks for developing an appreciation of the
because my dad and grandpa were avid hunters. hunt and the harvest. That memory with my grandpa
It was something I was always interested in doing is one that I know I will cherish for my entire life.
when I was older. When I got that first hunting rifle, The memories that I make every year during this
I felt so excited finally getting to be a part of that four-month season are the kind that will last forever.
family heritage I had heard so much about. My I will always remember how my grandpa puts in so
dad would set up deer-shaped targets and show much time and effort to take me deer hunting each
me where to hit the deer. I was taught a lot about year. He wakes up way before the sun comes up and
the anatomy of animals and how to ethically and goes to bed long after the sun has set just to go sit
humanely harvest them. He taught me how to hunt in the biting cold with me. I can see how much time
with rifles, bows, crossbows and even muzzleload- he invests in the land and the wildlife every year to
ers. These are some of my favorite memories. ensure that we have a good hunting spot for years
When I started hunting, my parents made sure to come. One day, I look forward to getting to share
that I understood the importance of hunting. … these experiences with my children and their chil-
Hunting is used as a critical wildlife management dren, as my family has done for me. … Many years
tool. For example, without deer hunting, the pop- from now, when he’s gone from this Earth, I will be
ulation of deer would explode. They would over- able reminisce on these wonderful memories that I
graze and cause harm to other wildlife and to the have made with him. For now, I will be thankful for
land. … I’ve learned that I should always respect every opportunity we have and continue to make and
nature and help to conserve its natural beauty. cherish these memories of my hunting heritage.

8 OFF THE BEATEN PATH